Pamela Anderson: ‘We’re all climate refugees’

Pamela Anderson has said that “we are all climate refugees” as a result of the world’s current climate crisis. The model and activist has taken part in an expansive roundtable discussion on Dazed with actors, activists, musicians, and artists about a future confronting climate change.

Anderson, who founded the Pamela Anderson Foundation to support organisations on the frontlines of human, animal, and environmental rights, expressed concerns about the future world we’re leaving for coming generations: “I’m afraid it’s too late, but we must fight until the end. We can’t give up for future generations, and for all (other) life too. We’re not more important than any other species; the world was not made for humans to gobble up.”

Speaking to Dazed, Anderson aired fears that there may not even be a future on this planet: “People will become more greedy and prepare for the apocalypse by buying bunkers or a spot on Mars instead of fairly sharing their wealth.”  

Her comments come amid a growing realisation across the world of the emergency we all face. The global school strike movement against climate change – started in August 2018 by Swedish activist Greta Thunberg who currently features in our A Future World campaign – was shortly followed by action from climate activist group Extinction Rebellion who staged protests across London and Europe, prompting the UK parliament to become the first in the world to declare a “climate emergency”.

“My wild, beautiful, talented and romantic children give me hope though,” adds Anderson, “together, we need to create a universal income, and to abolish poverty, hunger and racism. The world is small. We are all climate refugees.”

The environmental campaigner spoke to Dazed as part of a roundtable on the climate crisis and the urgent need for action, as part of our week-long A Future World campaign. The full interview will be published on Dazed, alongside a selection of articles and film, this week.